Mark Richt is one of only five men in NCAA Division 1A history to record 132 or more wins in his first 14 seasons as a head coach.

Coach

School, First 13 Seasons

Bob Stoops (1999-2012)

Oklahoma, 149-37

Tom Osborne (1973-85)

Nebraska, 137-32-2

Mark Richt (2001-2014)

Georgia, 136-48

Gary Patterson (*2001-2014)

TCU, 132-45

* - debuted as head coach in 2000 Mobile Alabama Bowl loss

Head Coach Mark Richt came to Georgia with the goal of taking the lid off a program that had not won an SEC title in 20 years. After 13 seasons between the hedges, he's demonstrated what that means by winning two SEC Championships (2002, '05), five SEC Eastern Division titles and tied for another, and his 126-45 record is fourth best in the country in winning percentage among active coaches (.737). And his emphasis on graduation has come to fruition as 238 Bulldog players have earned their degrees during his tenure.

Richt was named SEC Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2005. His record against non-conference teams is 52-10 and his teams are 43-14 when playing in an opponent's home stadium.

Richt is also one of only seven coaches in history to win two SEC championships (2002, 2005) in his first five years, and one of only seven head coaches in SEC history to record four straight 10-win seasons (2002-05). The respect he has nationally was demonstrated in 2010 when Richt was named to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees. He is also the 2013 recipient of the Stallings Award given for commitment to humanitarian and community service efforts.

The excitement produced by Richt's teams on the field has been matched by many other aspects surrounding the program. Richt has generated an atmosphere of excitement and unity among the Georgia people. Georgia supporters and fans became impressed with his sincerity, openness, family values, and the casual and genuine way he carried himself. They liked his ideas on building a football program, his commitment to discipline, and the importance he placed on standards of excellence on and off the field.

And they liked the way he refused to set limitations on what would be a satisfactory season. "I like to set our goals high," he said. "I never want to put a ceiling on what we can accomplish."

Richt also had a reputation for developing quarterbacks at FSU and that has continued at UGA. David Greene was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2001 and in '02, Greene led the SEC in passing efficiency and was the consensus choice for All-SEC first team. By the end of his career, Greene had become the SEC's all-time leading passer (11,528 yards) and set the NCAA Division 1-A record for career victories by a starting QB with 42. D.J. Shockley followed Greene in 2005 and led the SEC in passing efficiency. Matthew Stafford came next (2006-08) and set the Georgia record for season total offense in 2008 (3,499 yards) and finished third in career passing yardage (7,731).

In 2010, Aaron Murray finished second nationally in passing efficiency among freshman quarterbacks and in 2012 set the school record for most TD passes in a single season with 36. In 2013, Murray set four SEC career records: Passing yards (13,166), Total Offense (13,562), TD passes (121), and completions (921). He is the only QB in SEC history to throw for more than 3,000 yards four consecutive years.

The NFL is also looking Georgia's way on a regular basis. Seventy two of Richt's players have been chosen in the NFL draft over the last 12 years including eight chosen in the 2002 and 2013 NFL drafts--the most Georgia players ever selected in a single year.

Mark Richt Year by Year

2014: Nationally ranked in the top 15 for much of the year, the Bulldogs made their 18th consecutive appearance in a bowl game including all 14 seasons under Richt. Georgia led the SEC and ranked among the top 10 nationally in scoring at 41.3 points a game and finished third nationally in turnover margin at +16. The 'Dogs finished #9 in both polls.

2013: Besieged by injuries to numerous starters, the 'Dogs sill managed to defeat two top ten teams (South Carolina and LSU) along with rivals Tennessee, Florida (for the third straight season), and Georgia Tech (for the 12th time in 13 years). Georgia also earned its 17th consecutive bowl invitation.

2012: In racing to the SEC Eastern Division title, Richt's teams defeated rivals Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech all in the same season for the second straight year. In the 32-28 loss to #2 Alabama in the SEC title game, the third-ranked `Dawgs came within a few yards and a few seconds of earning a trip to the BCS national title game. The `Dogs defeated Nebraska, 45-31, in the Capital One Bowl.

2011: Georgia won ten or more games for the
seventh time in Richt's 11 years. The 'Dogs
defeated rivals Tennessee, Florida, Auburn,
and Georgia Tech all in the same season for
the first time since 1981.

2010: With the loss of several key players
during the season, the Dogs had the first losing
season in the Richt era but still managed victories
over rivals Tennessee and Georgia Tech.

2009: Georgia upset #7 Georgia Tech in the
regular season finale and then won its fourth
straight bowl game to complete the season
at 8-5.

2008: Georgia finished with a 10-3 mark and
number ten final national ranking--the sixth
time in seven years the Bulldogs won ten or
more games and also finished among the nation's top ten teams in the final national polls.

2007: One of the youngest teams in the country,
was 4-2 after six games but won the last
seven in a row including victories over rivals
Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech to finish 11-
2. The 'Dogs defeated 10th ranked Hawai'i in
The Allstate Sugar Bowl and finished No. 2 in
the final AP poll and No. 3 in the coaches poll.

2006: After starting out 5-0, his 2006 team
struggled through the middle of the schedule,
but rebounded to defeat three top 20 teams
in a row: #5 Auburn, #16 Georgia Tech, and
#14 Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
He was chosen to coach the 2007 Hula Bowl
game in Hawaii.

2005: Picked to finish third in the SEC East,
his 2005 team exceeded all expectations with
a 10-2 regular season finish and SEC championship
defeating third-ranked LSU in the title
game. He was elected 2005 SEC Coach of the
Year by the SEC Coaches.

2004: His 2004 team finished 10-2, won a
third straight bowl game, and finished in the nation's
top six in the final national rankings
for the third consecutive season. Along the
way in '04, the 'Dogs defeated defending
national champion LSU, Georgia Tech
for the fourth straight time and upended
Florida for the first time since 1997. DE
David Pollack became the most decorated
defensive player in Georgia history with a
third straight first tean All-America selection
and was recipient of the Lombardi,
Bednarik, Lott, and Hendricks Trophies.

2003: Richt led the 'Dogs to the SEC title
game for the second time in a row in '03,
defeated Purdue in the Capital One Bowl,
and had the 'Dogs in the top ten again
with a final USA Today/ESPN Coaches
ranking of 6th and a final AP ranking of
7th. Richt's team ranked 2nd nationally
in Scoring Defense (14.5 ppg), 4th in
Total Defense (276.86 ypg), 6th in Passing
Defense (174.5 ypg), and 14th nationally
in Turnover Margin (+.79).

2002: 'Dogs go 13-1, win first SEC
championship in 20 years, defeated Florida
State in the Nokia Sugar Bowl, and finished the
season with a number three national ranking.
Georgia's championship run was a complete
team effort, with the Dogs winning five games
by a touchdown or less. Among Richt's team
were three first team All-Americans and eight
first team All-SEC performers. Richt himself
was a consensus choice as SEC Coach of the
Year and was a finalist for the Bear Bryant
National Coach of the Year Award. In addition,
the '02 Bulldogs led the SEC in both scoring offense
(32.2 ppg) and scoring defense (15.1 ppg).

2001: By the time his inaugural season in
2001 came to a close (8-4), he had become
the first Georgia coach since H.J. Stegeman
in 1920 to win eight games in his inaugural
season. He had also handed Tennessee its
only regular season defeat (in Knoxville on
national television) and beaten arch rival
Georgia Tech (for the first time since 1997)

The Road To Athens

Richt's career as a Bulldog began as a Christmas
present that actually came the day after
most gifts had been opened. On Dec. 26,
2000, Richt was named head coach at the
University of Georgia after serving on the
staff at Florida State for 15 years--the last
seven as offensive coordinator.

Richt, a 1982 graduate of the University
of Miami, coached the quarterbacks for 14
seasons at FSU. As offensive coordinator,
he developed offenses that were among the
most prolific in college football history while
becoming one of country's most respected
coaches.

Under Richt's direction, the FSU offense
had been a national leader. In this seven years
as offensive coordinator, the Seminoles finished
in the nation's top five in scoring offense
on five occasions, top 12 in total offense five
times, and top 12 in passing offense five times.
His 2000 offense finished the regular season
ranked first nationally in total offense (549.0
ypg), first in passing offense (384.0 ypg), and
third in scoring offense (42.4 ppg).

Richt sent six FSU quarterbacks into the
NFL between 1987 and 2000. In addition
to Weinke (Carolina Panthers), Washington
Redskin Casey Weldon was the runner-up for
the Heisman Trophy in 1991. His teammate
at FSU, Brad Johnson (now Richt's brother-inlaw),
was a Pro Bowl selection for Washington
in 2000 and led the Tampa Bay Bucs to the
Super Bowl title in 2003. Other Richt pro
proteges include Danny Kanell (New York Giants),
Danny McManus (Kansas City Chiefs)
and Peter Tom Willis (Chicago Bears).

A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Richt played
QB for the Miami Hurricanes under Howard
Schnellenberger. Het spent most of his career
at Miami as a backup to former Buffalo Bills
star Jim Kelly. In one of Richt's years at Miami,
his QB teammates included Kelly, Vinny
Testaverde, Bernie Kosar, and quarterbacks
coach Earl Morral.

Richt is married to the former Katharyn Francis of Tallahassee. The couple have four children - Jonathan (3/11/90), a senior quarterback at Mars Hill College, David (12/1/94), Zach (5/15/96), and Anya (2/13/97). Jon was married to the former Anna Cearley, in May 2010.